Longford
We had a pretty casual family day at Longford. I got to know the girls a bit (Anna is 12, Holly about 10, and Grace is 8). And Louise and I went for a long walk - initially we thought we’d be gone 20 minutes, but when we got back, Jane said it was the longest 20 minute walk ever - over an hour. We had lunch after that, and then went along to the Longford Festival, which was running over the weekend. There was a bit of controversy about it, because they chose the same weekend as the Longford show was running, which had an impact - and apparently people dropped out of the show to go to the festival. Jane and I picked up Sam’s daughters, Ellie and Olivia, on the way. We didn’t take Jack, though - he’s a handful, so Jane wasn’t keen to keep an eye on him along with the rest, plus he’s quite small.
The girls were constantly asking if they could come to the music act on that night - someone called Nathan Carter, who is apparently a 26-ish year old Irish country and western singer. They tried to tell their mother it would only cost 3 euro. Thankfully she isn’t that silly - the Festival during the day was 3 euro for kids, but the show at night was 20 each for anyone attending. Funnily enough, they didn’t get to go. But they did have a lovely time while they were there… there were rides for the kids that were all included in the price. And there was a singing/dancing show too that everyone but Holly got really into.
After the show, we went back to Jane’s with all the girls, then called Sam and Deirdre… they came over with Jack and we had a bbq dinner. It was a makeshift bbq dinner, though, coz it was raining outside. Nummy Irish meat though. :D
At some point that night, Grace asked if she could do my hair. I said okay. Little did I know what that would cause. Grace did my hair, then Livvy, then Holly, then Ellie, then… um. I think Holly had another go. Anna definitely didn’t have a go, not her thing :) Grace wanted another go after that, but her mother and grandmother decided they'd done enough.
The following morning, Jane and I went to the show. I got set to work, wrapping scones and the like. After a while, I went for a walk around, so I looked at some pretty cattle, and some pretty sheep, and some pretty donkeys (Jane would love a donkey, apparently), some huge pretty dogs, some pretty horses and some showjumping. Some guy tried to talk me into buying a raffle ticket to win a heifer. I told him I wouldn’t have any way to take her home, or anywhere to store her.
The show was pretty quiet, overall. Jane was a bit disappointed, I think most of the ladies from the ICA were. But we had to go at the end of her ‘shift’ because we had to make lunch with Louise and the girls before they went back to Doneagal. So off we went.
Sam and Deirdre and the kids dropped by too. We had a nice lunch, and said our goodbyes. Louise offered a very nice invitation for me to come up and see them in Doneagal (she knew it probably wouldn’t fit in to my plans, but offered anyway, which was lovely). The girls all just about begged me to come up. I told them the truth, that I probably wouldn’t be able to, but that if I come back another time, I’ll definitely come out and stay there.
After they were gone, Jane and I went out to look at a historical road that’s nearby, the Corlea Trackway. It was really interesting, but the tour guide shoved far too much detailed information at us. Far more in depth than is required for the average tourist. Eventually, she got interrupted by a bus tour that came by, so she had to let us go.
Then we went out to the toy shop, where Derek was at work. It was pretty quiet, and almost closing time, so he shut up shop soon after we arrived. And then Jane and Derek took me on a tour of many locks, including parts of the Royal Canal, before taking me out to dinner. Nummyness - I had a goats cheese tart followed by steak.
Yesterday, Jane and I went shopping for a new kettle. Hers had died a couple of days before. We also went to see St Mel’s, which is the local Catholic Cathedral. It burnt down on Christmas Eve about 5-6 years ago, and opened up again last Christmas, I think it was. They had pictures up of the church after the fire, and all I can say is that they’ve done an awesome job. You’d never think it could have been destroyed so badly only a few years ago.
Oh, and we went to look at the gravestones for the local travellers. Ginormous and (in my opinion) very tacky. Anyway.
We had lunch at a local café. And then we picked up Jane’s friend Esme before we went to a Lough Rynn Castle to have afternoon tea. And the afternoon tea they serve there is AWESOME, as are the gardens.
The girls were constantly asking if they could come to the music act on that night - someone called Nathan Carter, who is apparently a 26-ish year old Irish country and western singer. They tried to tell their mother it would only cost 3 euro. Thankfully she isn’t that silly - the Festival during the day was 3 euro for kids, but the show at night was 20 each for anyone attending. Funnily enough, they didn’t get to go. But they did have a lovely time while they were there… there were rides for the kids that were all included in the price. And there was a singing/dancing show too that everyone but Holly got really into.
After the show, we went back to Jane’s with all the girls, then called Sam and Deirdre… they came over with Jack and we had a bbq dinner. It was a makeshift bbq dinner, though, coz it was raining outside. Nummy Irish meat though. :D
At some point that night, Grace asked if she could do my hair. I said okay. Little did I know what that would cause. Grace did my hair, then Livvy, then Holly, then Ellie, then… um. I think Holly had another go. Anna definitely didn’t have a go, not her thing :) Grace wanted another go after that, but her mother and grandmother decided they'd done enough.
The following morning, Jane and I went to the show. I got set to work, wrapping scones and the like. After a while, I went for a walk around, so I looked at some pretty cattle, and some pretty sheep, and some pretty donkeys (Jane would love a donkey, apparently), some huge pretty dogs, some pretty horses and some showjumping. Some guy tried to talk me into buying a raffle ticket to win a heifer. I told him I wouldn’t have any way to take her home, or anywhere to store her.
The show was pretty quiet, overall. Jane was a bit disappointed, I think most of the ladies from the ICA were. But we had to go at the end of her ‘shift’ because we had to make lunch with Louise and the girls before they went back to Doneagal. So off we went.
Sam and Deirdre and the kids dropped by too. We had a nice lunch, and said our goodbyes. Louise offered a very nice invitation for me to come up and see them in Doneagal (she knew it probably wouldn’t fit in to my plans, but offered anyway, which was lovely). The girls all just about begged me to come up. I told them the truth, that I probably wouldn’t be able to, but that if I come back another time, I’ll definitely come out and stay there.
After they were gone, Jane and I went out to look at a historical road that’s nearby, the Corlea Trackway. It was really interesting, but the tour guide shoved far too much detailed information at us. Far more in depth than is required for the average tourist. Eventually, she got interrupted by a bus tour that came by, so she had to let us go.
Then we went out to the toy shop, where Derek was at work. It was pretty quiet, and almost closing time, so he shut up shop soon after we arrived. And then Jane and Derek took me on a tour of many locks, including parts of the Royal Canal, before taking me out to dinner. Nummyness - I had a goats cheese tart followed by steak.
Yesterday, Jane and I went shopping for a new kettle. Hers had died a couple of days before. We also went to see St Mel’s, which is the local Catholic Cathedral. It burnt down on Christmas Eve about 5-6 years ago, and opened up again last Christmas, I think it was. They had pictures up of the church after the fire, and all I can say is that they’ve done an awesome job. You’d never think it could have been destroyed so badly only a few years ago.
Oh, and we went to look at the gravestones for the local travellers. Ginormous and (in my opinion) very tacky. Anyway.
We had lunch at a local café. And then we picked up Jane’s friend Esme before we went to a Lough Rynn Castle to have afternoon tea. And the afternoon tea they serve there is AWESOME, as are the gardens.